1. Field of the Invention
The present invention comprises focus enhancing blinders for usage in sporting activities and other activities that require visual focus and concentration. More particularly, the invention is a perspiration-absorbing headband worn by players of tennis and other sports where hand-eye coordination is critical.
In one mode, the headband includes a slot to hold and guide blinders that extend to the areas on the outside of each eye, functioning to block off a previously-determined degree of peripheral vision. This assists the user in the difficult task of keeping his or her visual focus straight ahead and directly on the ball, thus enhancing the user's performance.
In addition, the blinders are of a length of one to four inches and can be held in place through the usage of Velcro on the inside of the blinders and outside of the headband. In the preferred mode, Velcro is also placed along the ear on both sides past the open slot to hold the blinders. Importantly, the blinders can move out from the slot to cover the peripheral vision as required. The user may utilize both blinders, one blinder, or neither; as the player improves on his or her focus, the blinders can be moved back toward the ear to a point where they are no longer required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for focus-enhancing devices have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted. The following is a summary of those prior art patents most relevant to the invention at hand, as well a description outlining the differences between the features of the present invention and those of the prior art.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,398, invented by Moore, entitled “Sports Training Eyeglasses having Adjustable Lenses and Method For Training Therewith”
A pair of eyeglasses is provided for sports training, and more specifically for training the player to keep the player's eyes on an approaching ball for batting or for swinging a racket. The pair of glasses, have a position adjustable pair of lenses each having an opaque peripheral region and a transparent central region. Initial adjustment of the lenses is achieved utilizing a removable cover element overlaying the transparent central region wherein the cover element has a viewing aperture. A method is provided wherein the player wears a pair of the glasses, adjusts the positions of the lenses to correspond to the positions of the pupillary disks of the player until the player can view a single focal element through each aperture, removing the cover elements from the lenses, and batting at a moving ball while wearing the eyeglasses.2. U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,619, invented by Gin, entitled “Vision Directing Goggle”A vision directing goggle for directing a batter's vision during batting practice. The vision directing goggle includes a housing for directing the vision of a user. The housing is generally rectangular and has an open top side and an open bottom side. The housing has a first pair of opposing walls and a second pair of opposing walls. An elastomeric strap binds the housing to a user's head. A coupling means couples the strap member to the housing. The coupling means is affixed to an outside surface of each of the second opposing walls.3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,928, invented by Moore, entitled “Sports Training Eyeglasses”A pair of sports training eyeglasses is provided for training a user to keep his/her eye on a ball while hitting either a stationary ball, e.g. in golf or hockey, or a moving ball, e.g., in baseball and softball. The pair of sports training eyeglasses have a pair of lenses, each lens having an opaque peripheral region and a viewing aperture, and a frame having an elongated bridge bar having opposite ends, a pair of opposing temporal side members extending from respective ends of the elongated bridge bar, a means for adjusting the position of each temporal side member in relation to the elongated bridge bar, a movably nose piece, a means for removably attaching each lens to the elongated bridge bar, wherein the position of each lens is adjustable in relation to the nose piece, and a means for locking the position of each lens on the elongated bridge bar. A first set of lenses is provided having an oval shaped viewing aperture and is used in training a user to hit a moving ball. A second set of lenses is provided having a viewing aperture being an elongated slit that is rotatable between a vertical orientation for fitting the lenses on a user and a horizontal orientation for training the user to hit a stationary ball. A method is also provided wherein a user adjusts the pair of eyeglasses to a comfortable fit, wears the pair of eyeglasses, adjusts the position of the lenses, locks the position of the lenses, and trains in hitting either a moving ball or a stationary ball depending on whether the first set of lenses or the second set of lenses are installed, respectively.4. U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,784, invented by Patire, entitled “Controlled Sight Device”An eye shield assembly useful in training students in non-deadly force, firearms and martial arts has an opaque first eye shield which is coupled to an apertured second eye shield by connecting together adjustable straps on both eye shields. One eye shield covers the eyes while the other eye shield forms a portion of the head strap. The opaque first eye shield simulates substantial or complete blindness while the apertured second eye shield simulates tunnel vision, both conditions being possible during an encounter with an adversary. By utilizing the eye shield assembly, the trainee becomes acclimated to sight impairment and learns to employ the skills obtained by his or her training in situations where there is sight impairment.5. U.S. Design Pat. D502,493, invented by Moore, entitled “Sports Training Eyeglasses”An ornamental design for a sports training eyeglasses.6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,743 invented by Lott, entitled “Golfer's Aid”A golfer's aid is provided in the form of a translucent sheet having two transparent crosses thereon wherein the center of the crosses corresponds with the separation of a user's eyes, and a pair of vertical and horizontal slots, respectively, above and at the outer sides of said crosses, said sheet being pivotally supported by extension arms well in front of the user's eyes.7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,982 invented by Meissner, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Improving Visual Acuity”A method and apparatus for improving visual acuity during sports activities includes increasing the strength of the image on the brain half corresponding to the weaker eye by substantially occluding ambient light to the dominant eye of the person for a period of approximately one to two weeks for at least one hour per day; forcing both brain halves to operate at substantially equal visual levels in coordination with each other by wearing eyeglasses having inner opaque sections adjacent the nose bridge so as to limit overlapping vision of the two eyes to a small overlapping area, the inner opaque areas being inwardly and downwardly inclined at an angle of approximately 20 with respect to a nasal axis extending through the nose of the person; and forcing both brain halves to operate independently of each other at substantially equal visual levels by increasing the areas of the opaque sections so as to eliminate the overlapping area, which forces each brain half to process the visual information supplied to it independently of the other brain half, such that the eyes of the person can operate independently and in synchronism, with the same angle of approximately 20 being maintained.8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,650 invented by Hilton, entitled “Tennis Training Aid”A training aid primarily adapted to teach a tennis player proper form includes a hood, a headband, and an indicator for indicating when the user's head is tilted downwardly. The hood restricts peripheral vision and requires concentration on the ball. The indicator and hood may move relative to each other so that the indicator moves into the user's field of vision upon tilting of the hood.9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,226 invented by Morrissey, entitled “Head Guide and Batting Helmet”A sports training device which includes an opaque shield releasably mounted on a protective helmet on the side opposite the source of a projectile travelling toward the user, in the case of baseball, or on the side facing the direction of intended flight of the ball to be struck whereby movement of the user's head out of the desired position results in the shielding of the eyes of the user from the projectile.10. U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,649 invented by Lugiewicz entitled “Performance Enhancement Apparatus”A performance enhancement aid for sports activities and the like in which it is necessary to keep the eyes focused on a target. The aid may be an assembly mounted on the user's eyeglasses or the eye direction panels may be permanently fixed to a frame which is worn on the head in a manner similar to eyeglasses. A pair of opaque panels are supported on opposite sides of the user's eyes. Each panel has a forward portion which extends obliquely inwardly toward and aligned with the optical axis line of the adjacent eye when the user's eyes are focused on a target. Each oblique extension defines a desired sight line. The two defined sight lines converge at a line bisecting the angle formed by the optical axis lines of the user's eyes, thereby directing the eyes to the target.